Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bethesda.
Random short stories from the Wasteland. They are definitely not to be taken seriously. Really.
Chapter 2: Deacon loves to read. That's no secret. But when did he pick up this hobby? Nora asks the question.
Campfire Tales from the Commonwealth
2. Tale As Old As Time
A quiet night, a book, a worn couch, and his partner in crime. Those were everything Deacon could ask for when he had a rare chance to strip off his latest disguise and put his feet up.
Here in one of their undisclosed safehouses, Deacon savored his downtime as he reread one of his old books for the tenth time.
He was lying on the couch, his head on her thighs. Yes, he was using her as his pillow. But then, she was using his chest as her armrest. Neither complained about the other's invasion of personal space. Somehow, somewhere along the line of their partnership, they'd grown closer to each other than either of them would openly admit.
In her hands was his copy of Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time. His prized possession. And she was treating it with so much care and tenderness that made him jealous of his book.
For a long, peaceful moment, the only sound was the occasional page flipping. One page from his book, one page from hers.
With his eyes safely hidden behind the ever-present sunglasses, his gaze shifted from the words and traveled up to the face above. Most of her face was covered by the book, except for the eyes. Those eyes...
As if she could sense his gaze, Nora suddenly glanced right at him. Careful not to move one muscle, Deacon pretended that he was still very much engrossed by Twain's plot twist. Except he was not.
Mentally, Deacon counted to three then flipped the page, all before he tilted his head ever-so slightly to the side as though he just realized her attention was on him.
"Hm?" he made a noise, arching one questioning eyebrow.
"When did you pick up this hobby?" Nora asked.
Deacon knew what she was asking. But it's too good of a chance to pass up for a little fun. "This? Remember that one time we were so tired we passed out on the couch. I ended up sleeping on your lap. Best sleep ever. So, yeah, since then."
His partner gave him a pointed look. "I meant reading."
"Did I tell you I crawled out of my mother's womb holding a book in my tiny hand?"
She snorted. "Well, you did have to spend nine months in there. Anything to pass time, right?"
"Exactly." Deacon grinned. This woman put up with his bullshit like no other; for that, he was forever grateful. "Seriously, though. I didn't like to read when I was young. That's like centuries ago... before the bomb dropped."
By now, both of them had put down their books. Neither had any intention to move from their comfortable positions as they carried on the conversation.
"What changed?" she asked.
"A girl," he told her. "Tale as old as time, I know. But it's true."
"What's her name?"
"Belle. She loved to read. Her mom died, and her dad worked for a caravan. She was alone most of the time. So she read, you know, to escape the lonely world. She had both the beauty and the brain, a very rare combo."
"What happened?"
"Well, one day, her dad came back and told her he owed someone a whole lot of money. Gambling debt or something. They'd to pack and skip town. She didn't want to go. So, she went to talk to the big honcho. Turns out, he's this big, giant, ugly guy with hair all over. Like a human yao guai. And he trapped her in his haunted mansion and said she couldn't leave until she fell in love with him..."
It was then Nora's soft expression hardened into an exasperated glare. "Beauty and the Beast, you bastard." She gave his chest a playful but sound smack.
"Ow!" Deacon laughed hard as he sat up and left the comfort of her lap. "Can't believe you bought it," he said after catching his breath.
"You owe me a real answer," said his partner in crime. Her expressive eyes narrowed in a warning, but her mouth betrayed her. The corners of her lips curled up on their own, then came her faint snickers. All was well.
"Another time," he told her, grinning. "Promise."
A/N: Random Deacon scenes that won't be included in "Project Wanderer" will be dumped here. Stay tune.
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